Wheel Vintiques Reproduction Rally II

Pontiac's Rally II is arguably the most popular-styled wheel the Division ever offered. Iconic examples such as the cast-aluminum eight-lug or polycast Honeycomb are certainly formidable contenders for the title, but when considering that the stamped-steel Rally II remained on Pontiac order forms for more than two decades, the charcoal-and-argent champion clearly bested them all.

Introduced in 1967 as a way to give buyers a sporty, factory-installed wheel package that mimicked the look of the era's popular aftermarket offerings, the Rally II was produced in 14-and 15-inch diameters, widths of 6 and 7 inches, and with bolt-circle diameters of 4.75 and 5 inches over the years. That diversity allowed Pontiac to offer the Rally II as a regular production option on virtually all models through the early 1980s, and on select models through its retirement at the commencement of the 1987 model year.

The 15x7-inch Rally II was produced in the greatest number. While early versions most closely associated with 1970-1972 Trans Ams are quite desirable and costly, a slightly revised Rally II debuted in 1973, and it was available on a wide array of Pontiacs, including Firebirds, Grand Prix, and Grand Ams. With literally millions produced during the mid-to-late 1970s, you might presume the quest to find a usable quartet for our 1976 Trans Am would be simple. That proved otherwise.

From our hunt's onset, we understood that a complete wheel restoration would likely be required. We planned to completely strip each wheel and then laboriously refinish the set in the correct shades of charcoal and argent. We scoured many local salvage yards and swap meets, but found issues with each potential candidate. Whether rust pitting, road rash, dings and dents, or general wear from mishandling over the years, we simply couldn't find what we were seeking.

On a recent trip to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, we happened across the Wheel Vintiques (WV) booth where we spied, amongst the many single wheels on display, what appeared to be a new Pontiac Rally II.

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1. Pontiac's Rally II was a popular consumer option throughout much of the Division's glory years. The stamped-steel 15x7-inch unit could be found on its most popular offerings during the mid-to-late 1970s. With so many produced over the years, used examples can typically be purchased rather reasonably, making them popular hobbyist choices for most any vintage Pontiac. But just how reusable are they?

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2. A two-digit code stamped into the rim near to the right of the valve stem indicates original application. Codes such as JW and KR are found on early 15x7-inch units, which had limited usage and today's market prices reflect it. Later units, stamped with HM or HW are far more common, with widespread usage across numerous models. With identical functionality, we sought a set of either for our 1976 Firebird.

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3. We found it rather difficult to find a complete set of used Rally IIs at a reasonable price that required minimal restoration efforts. Surface pitting is very common from exposure to decades of Midwest winters. While some of it will blast away during stripping, deep pits and blemishes will likely require body filler and additional prep, adding to the cost.

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4. A rusty bead surface is also common. Even after using a wire brush, the deep rust and pitting that remains can prevent the tire from securely adhering to the rim, causing leaks, or worse, total separation.

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5. We found a set of Rally IIs that looked to be in excellent reusable condition, but were quickly disappointed to find several deformed lugnut holes. Whether caused by someone over-tightening the lug nuts or by nuts with an incorrect taper, we weren't prepared to gamble that the proper lug nuts intended for the application would retain the wheel onto the hub correctly—a major safety risk. Unfortunately, this otherwise beautiful rim is basically useless.

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6. Wheel Vintiques (WV) offers a great solution if original codes aren't important to you. Its reproduction Rally IIs are created from entirely new stampings. We purchased a set of 15x7-inch units, and our thorough inspection found the only difference from a code-HM or -HW original is the backspace. WV delivers its Rally IIs beautifully painted in the factory-correct shades and pattern.

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7. The stampings are very clean, without sharp edges and with a uniform appearance. The center is constructed of 7-gauge cold-rolled steel and formed using a 600-ton press. It's then fastened to the rim by five 5-inch welds.

WV has been reproducing classic wheels for many popular makes and applications in its California-based facility since 1986, and that includes the Pontiac Rally II, but for years it was disassembling original Rally IIs and combining the Pontiac center with its own outer rim to produce the variations it offered, which consisted of rim depths ranging from 7 to 10 inches.

We learned from the SEMA visit that as the supply of original Pontiac cores dwindled, WV eventually began stamping its own Rally II center, creating an entirely new wheel. Upon further inspection of the sample, we found it a near-exact reproduction of Pontiac's most popular 15x7-inch rim, and we were immediately interested. Once we found that the new reproductions we desired retailed for less than $140 each, we quickly realized that our ongoing search-and-restore mission was essentially wasted effort! We contacted our favorite mail-order supplier and had a set of 15x7-inch Rally IIs (PN 60-573404) on our step in a matter of days.

After a thorough inspection to check for accuracy and quality, the only difference we could detect from an original code-HW Rally II was a slight amount of backspace. Externally both rims measured exactly the same, but we found the original contained an offset of about 0.375-inch toward the front of the rim, giving a total backspace of about 4.375 inches. The Wheel Vintiques reproduction has no offset, which means its backspace is 4 inches.

This slight difference of the reproduction Rally II can leave a minute gap between the trim rings when compared to an original, but we found the additional offset beneficial as it allows for precious clearance in the tight Firebird wheelwell if running wider-than-stock tires like our 255/60R15 BFGoodrich Radial T/As. Since Wheel Vintiques well-publishes this information in its sales material, we were aware of the difference going in and are happy to report it worked as planned.

If Rally IIs are in the future for your Pontiac project and number-matching correctness isn't an overwhelming concern, then a set of Wheel Vintiques' reproduction Rally IIs may be one of the easiest options available. Considering the wheels are new and come beautifully painted in the correct colors, a set might very well be a low-buck approach compared to purchasing a used set of originals and expending the resources to restore them!

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8. A close looks reveals the quality of the Wheel Vintiques repro. The fresh flange on the lug-nut seat contains the correct taper, and that is a sight we don't often see on used originals. The charcoal color appears correct, and the spokes even feature the raised portion, which is accented in argent, just like an original.

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9. Midwest Tire Company in Omaha, Nebraska, installed the new Rally IIs onto a set of nearly new BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires we had from a previous project. The 255/60R15 sizing fit the 7-inch-wide rim perfectly and the 0-offset design of the WV repro helps prevent the tires from contacting the body while cornering.

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10. A quick run up to speed on the spin-balancer indicated exactly where the weights were required. We found a minimal amount was needed, which suggests excellent construction.

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11. Mounted and balanced, our new Rally IIs are nearly ready to install. Wheel Vintiques also offers 14- and 15-inch reproductions of the Rally I and attractive chromed versions of the 15-inch Rally II.

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12. Pontiac introduced a new center cap design for 1973. While reproductions are not yet available, we had an N.O.S. set in our collection that we used for this project. Finding used originals in good shape is usually far easier than the wheels and the Internet has proven an excellent source. Wheel Vintiques offers a reproduction of the 1970-1972 chrome cap with red Lucite center if correctness is less important that appearance.

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13. This Rally II is now ready for installation onto our Firebird.

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14. Back in the day, the Rally IIs on most new Pontiacs were delivered to owners with trim rings, but running them unadorned is popular with hobbyists today. The ring simply presses onto the outer rim. Its retaining clips quickly scar the freshly painted surface, so before installing them, be sure to consider if you plan to run your Rally IIs without them down the road. Wheel Vintiques offers a reproduction that fits the Rally II. Used originals can be hunted down on the Internet.